Chris J. Longe

Chris was born in Burbank, California and graduated from Elsinore Union High School in 1970. In 1974, Chris received a B.A. in biology from the University of California, Riverside. Before joining the County family, Chris worked for Hemet Valley Hospital, first as a patient escort and later as a nursing assistant, where he was assigned to the emergency room, acute care and orthopedic divisions. Later, Chris decided to return to school to attend classes in public administration at both UC Riverside and California State University, Long Beach, because he had a thirst for knowledge and wanted to learn more about public policy.

In 1975, Chris changed career tracks and joined the Los Angeles County Probation Department as a clerk typist, assigned to the Rio Hondo Office. Two years later, Chris transferred to the County Clerk’s Office to accept a promotion. After earning his badge as a court clerk, Chris honorably served the clerk’s office with great distinction both as a judicial assistant and as a court services administrator. Chris quickly rose through the ranks, serving in varied assignments in Central, Juvenile Court and Court Services in Santa Monica, Sylmar Juvenile, Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles. In 1980, Chris was a Supervising Superior Court Clerk. Chris was later promoted to Assistant Head of Court Services, Head of Court Services and was also a Division Chief for Criminal Court Services. Notwithstanding his impressive history at the clerk’s office, Chris was very modest about his abilities and achievements and spoke most often and fondly about the years that he spent as a superior court clerk assigned to a felony courtroom.

Those years as a courtroom clerk not only sparked Chris’s interest in our office, but also provided him with an invaluable experience that he brought to our Systems Division. In 1999, Chris joined the District Attorney’s Office as an EDP Senior Programmer Analyst, and served three different District Attorneys during his tenure. Chris had a formidable intellect and always demanded the best of himself, yet he was also a kind and gentle person.

During his career with our office, Chris was especially well-known for his amazing ability to generate and analyze statistical requests regarding all aspects of our office’s operations. These statistics were often produced on very short notice, in response to requests for information from the public and the media. Chris would consider what the crime statistics meant from a real world perspective, so that he could provide what the requestor actually needed. Chris’s knowledge of criminal law and felony sentencing, learned during his years at the clerk’s office, was invaluable to this statistical work. Chris also continued to educate himself regarding all pertinent changes in the law; for example, he once took it upon himself to read and absorb the entire Realignment bench book overnight.

Because much of Chris’s work was conducted by telephone and email, staff and attorneys alike who had not previously met him were eager to meet “the man behind the stats” in person. During last year’s Bureau of Administrative Services reception, Chris was startled and touched to find himself surrounded by a bevy of admirers, each vying to thank him, shake his hand and have their photo taken with him. While his passing remains a sad event which happened much too soon, at least Chris was able to know while he was still with us how very much he was appreciated and admired by so many.

Memorial Services will be held on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. at the Pacific View Memorial Chapel, located at 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar, California 92625 (949-644-2700).

A reception will follow immediately after the service and will be held in the social hall at St. Michael’s and All Angels, 3233 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar, California 92625. It is in walking distance from Pacific View Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, Chris’s family requests donations be made to Shanti Orange County in memory of Chris Longe. If by mail: Shanti Orange County, 23461 South Pointe Drive, Suite 100, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. If online: www.shantioc.org.

Chris is survived by his husband, Terry Delonas; brother, Jeff Hodges; sister, Marianne Tarner (Mark); nieces, Michelle Tarner and Melanie Schrepfer; great-nephew, Gavin Schrepfer; and great-niece, Savannah Schrepfer.